Is Graffiti Art?

Is graffiti art? Or is it a crime? I’m going to debate whether graffiti is art or vandalism and give my honest opinion. I will say that this is going to be a tough decision because I can agree with both sides. So I’m going to support both sides and then give my final answer.

I can support the idea that graffiti is art because graffiti is visually appealing. Plus, there’s so many different things you can create with graffiti. I also believe that everything in the world can be considered art because art doesn’t have any rules or restrictions. Plus, graffiti is called graffiti for a reason because it’s art. Graffiti is displayed in galleries, “graffiti art has been shown in various galleries in New York and London” (3). Graffiti also has a style of it’s own because it stands out. The graffiti community has evolved from just using it for politics to now using it as a way for people to enjoy it, “The graffiti community moves in different directions and the resultant artwork moves with it.” (3). So these are the reasons why I can support graffiti as being art.

I can also support the idea that graffiti is vandalism or a crime. One reason why I can agree with this is because the cost of removing graffiti can be devastating, “In 2006, Chicago budgeted $6.5 million while Omaha, Nebraska spends about $100,000 annually, according to graffitihurts.org.” (4). To be honest, if I owned a business, I wouldn’t want graffiti on my building. So I have to feel bad for all of the buildings that got ruined because of it. There’s also many people out there that view graffiti as gang-related, “Graffiti that is gang-related or expresses hateful sentiments is most likely to be unwelcome in an area.” (4). So these are the reasons why I can support graffiti as being a crime.

In conclusion, I believed that graffiti can be viewed as art and a crime. Because everything’s art in my opinion. But graffiti also has to be viewed as a crime just because there’s so many people that don’t want graffiti on their property. So if I had to choose art or crime I would choose crime just because you’re technically vandalizing other people’s property.

“Graffiti, Market St” by Salim Virji is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.